Director of IT Application Services, US IT Operations

The Opportunity

The Director of IT Application Services will be responsible for overseeing a subset of 100 applications within the IT Operations department, with a focus on application support and development for business lines such as Life Insurance and Long Term Care. This role will involve ensuring that IT applications are UP, SECURE, ACCURATE, and PERFORMING, while also aligning with the organization's mission of streamlining processes to be Easier, Better, and Faster. By leveraging these skills, the Director will effectively lead and oversee the support and development of critical applications, while aligning these efforts with the organization's strategic objectives

Office locations: Toronto - Canada or Boston - USA

Work arrangement: Hybrid - 3 days in office, 2 days from home;

Working remotely is not available;

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead and Manage Application Support: Direct and guide multiple global teams of technical professionals to ensure the effective support and development of a subset of 100 applications, aligning with business lines such as Life Insurance and Long Term Care. Provide strategic direction and create a collaborative, high-performing team culture to achieve organizational objectives, with a focus on effective people management.

• Ensure Application Performance and Security: Oversee the maintenance and optimization of IT applications to ensure they are UP, SECURE, ACCURATE, and PERFORMING, utilizing deep technical expertise to address complex issues and make data-driven decisions to enhance application performance and support processes.

• Strategic Alignment and Business Integration: Understand business objectives and align application support efforts with the strategic goals of the organization, effectively communicating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders to ensure seamless integration with broader business operations.

• Project and Change Management: Manage projects related to application support, including planning, resource allocation, and execution to ensure the successful delivery of support services and development initiatives. Drive change within the application support and development processes, managing transitions, upgrades, and enhancements effectively while minimizing disruptions to business operations.

• Vendor Relationship and Strategic Planning: Work with third-party vendors and service providers to ensure the delivery of high-quality application support services, managing vendor relationships and contracts. Develop and execute long-term strategic plans for application support, aligning with broader IT and organizational strategies to drive successful outcomes.

Required Skills and experience:

• Leadership: The ability to lead and manage a team of technical professionals, including setting strategic direction, providing guidance, and fostering a collaborative and high-performing team culture.

• Technical Expertise: A deep understanding of application support and development processes, including knowledge of various technologies, platforms, and programming languages relevant to the applications being supported.

• Business Acumen: The capacity to understand the business objectives and align application support efforts with the strategic goals of the organization, while also effectively communicating technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify and address complex technical issues, as well as the ability to make data-driven decisions to optimize application performance and support processes.

• Communication: Excellent communication skills, including the ability to effectively communicate with technical and non-technical stakeholders, present findings and recommendations, and negotiate and influence to drive successful outcomes.

• Project Management: Experience in managing projects related to application support, including planning, resource allocation, and execution to ensure successful delivery of support services and development initiatives.

• Change Management: The ability to navigate and drive change within the application support and development processes, including managing transitions, upgrades, and enhancements effectively while minimizing disruptions to business operations.

• Vendor Management: Experience in working with third-party vendors and service providers to ensure the delivery of high-quality application support services, as well as the ability to manage vendor relationships and contracts.

• Strategic Thinking: The capacity to develop and e